The Federal Reserve Bank of New York works to promote sound and well-functioning financial systems and markets through its provision of industry and payment services, advancement of infrastructure reform in key markets and training and educational support to international institutions.

The Outreach and Education function engages, empowers and educates the Second District communities that the Bank serves, especially civic leaders, students, educators, small business owners, policymakers and the general public. It furthers the Bank's commitment to the region by listening to the communities we serve and leveraging our unique attributes to positively impact school and university programs, as well as analysis and research.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) directed the Open Market Trading Desk (the Desk) at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to reinvest principal payments from the Federal Reserve’s holdings of agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) in agency MBS (see http://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomccalendars.htm for the most recent FOMC statement). This policy, by keeping the Committee’s holdings of longer-term securities at sizable levels, should help maintain accommodative financial conditions.

The Desk conducts agency MBS small value exercises from time to time as matter of prudent advance planning by the Federal Reserve. The exercises are conducted under the annual authorization for domestic open market operations for the purpose of testing operational readiness. They do not represent a change in the stance of monetary policy, and no inference should be drawn about the timing of any change in the stance of monetary policy in the future.